The present invention relates generally to browsing and using the Internet, and more particularly, to methods and systems for managing audio files in a browser application
Internet applications have grown tremendously over the years and so has the functionality provided to devices that access such applications. In the field of music, such internet applications provide various levels of access and features. Providers of such applications have also developed various business models for providing access to such music (e.g., media), and differing user interfaces for controlling the selection and listening features. Each of the user interfaces typically has some common features that allow browsing, selecting, playing, rewind, fast-forward, pause functions, etc. In addition, depending on the provider, other custom functions are provided in their interfaces.
Commonly, an individual user may wish to access more than one provider service (e.g., website) through multiple internet browsing windows. This would allow the user to switch between the providers based on content changes or new availability of particular music. By way of example, a user may be listening to a media on a first website, that media is interrupted by a commercial or possibly another media that the user doesn't wish to listen to, and so the user selects a second website and a second media to listen to on that second website. At this point, the user will have two different individualized user interfaces to manage during the listening session.
These multiple individualized user interfaces require multiple pages, tabs, or windows in the browser and each may have individualized controls. The controls might be similar in function but are typically arranged in a different order, having different shaped buttons, having similar shaped buttons with different functions and many other user interface issues that make it less user-friendly to use the multiple user interfaces.
In addition, the user may not recall which browser tab or window is currently playing the media, or the user may wish to navigate back to the browser tab or window that is actually playing the media in order to select another media file, stop or pause or some other playback control. Thus, it may be very cumbersome to stop play in a first tab or window then start play in a second tab or window. The lack of a standard mechanism for controlling media play from a browser makes accessing and controlling the various media websites overly complex and generally not user friendly.
It is in this context that embodiments arise.